Spoils of War
by The Cowgirl Bookworm
Summary: Mario is offered a wife in exchange for saving a household. Serena Rialta arrives and slowly tries to become a part of the Auditore household, even as she confront feelings she didn't expect herself to have. Mario/OC Very long oneshot.


Mario Auditore was practicing his fencing when one of his men approached with the messenger, the brightly colored silk a stark contrast to the _mercanari_'s dyed, and patched, and re-dyed wool. The man's sky blue cape was clasped with an enameled white eagle, a crest he had not seen before. He took all of this in with a glance, still alert enough to deliver a hit to a soldier's stomach when he came in for a blow. "Taking advantage of a distraction, good. But you have to do better." He told the soldier, who was grasping his gut and trying to regain his breath. Mario nodded to him as he stepped out of the fighting pit, gesturing for the messenger to follow as he stepped inside the villa. Mario truthfully didn't pay much attention to the Villa itself, leaving all that to Claudia and Ezio. His niece and nephew may bicker, but the Villa was becoming beautiful once more. The messenger followed him to his office, standing as Mario settled his weary bones into a curule chair.

"_Messer_ Audiore, I come on behalf of my master, Vicchino Rialta. The Villa Rialta will soon be under siege by mercenary forces hired by his enemies." The messenger drew a small scroll from his belt. "The details are contained in here. He begs for your _condottieri _to come to his aid."

"And he offers what in return?" Mario asked, reaching for the message. The message was written on the finest parchment he had seen, smooth as a woman's skin. The writing was fine, a spindly hand detailing the number of troops, their armament and positions. _They may not have many soldiers, but excellent spies. And plenty of gold. _Mario Auditore was not one to run from a fight. He sought them out, actually. His father had berated him every time he had returned to the Villa with a cut or bruise, but the skill Mario had learned over the years served him well.

"Several large casks of his finest vintage, from his own vineyards. A chest of gold, in addition to five thousand florins. And-" Here the messenger blushed slightly. "The hand of his daughter."

"His daughter?" Mario glanced up from the scroll. The wine he would take, there was no such thing as a bad wine in his view. But a woman? Most men offered more money, spoils of war, whores to fuck and wine to drink. Not many offered daughters, usually only if they were far too old, deformed or a cost to the father. With what he had seen on the messenger's clothing and the quality of the paper, he expected more money. "Is she so ugly he could foist her off on some other man?"

"A most beautiful woman, I assure you. Kind, smart, a truly remarkable woman."

Mario snorted, then gestured to the window. _She's been taught embroidery, dancing, and nothing of the world. _Outside the window the town of Monteriggoni spread below. The people of the town went around on their business, soldiers mingling without any disturbance. "You see my men correct?" The messenger nodded. "They will not be inclined to fight because their _condottiero _gets some slip of a girl to warm his bed at night. I have taken back farms for more than you have offered, have had women that I had to do nothing for."

"_Messer _Auditore, if you do not help I fear for her life, her chastity. Her sainted mother, God rest her soul, was dearly beloved to her staff, as is her child." The messenger sank to his knees. "I ask you for help not as _Messer _Rialta's man, but as a friend of Lady Rialta, of her daughter Serena. I ask as a husband who would like to see his son grow in the world, spend another night in his wife's arms. Please, by God above help us."

Mario looked at this man, his face earnest and heartfelt unlike his official plea. This man cared enough to beg, even glancing towards his scuffed and shit stained boots as if he might kiss them. He looked down at the scroll, noting the amount moving against them was two hundred men, only a quarter mounted. He'd need less than that to erase them, save this poor man's family at the very least. "Calm yourself." Mario reached down and helped the man up. "It will be enough. Now, take the fastest horse from my stables, and tell your master that I will be behind you in three days time." The messenger gave his heartfelt thanks before rushing off.

"Uncle?" A soft feminine voice asked. Claudia, Mario's niece, stepped through the open doorway. She was a pretty young woman, hair curled into ringlets that hung on either side of her face. Her dress of pink and gold striped silk was faded, but still serviceable. "Forgive me, but I thought I heard crying."

"It is alright," Mario assured her, sorting through papers on his desk. All that was left was to head to the barracks, tell his lieutenant Giaccomo to gather a force of a hundred and fifty of his men, and prepare to march west to defend the Villa Rialta, and the town of San Eligius. His papers in order, he turned. "I will be going in a few days, with some men. We will return soon after."

"And your new wife?" Claudia teased, playfully raising her eyebrows.

"We'll see." Mario replied, clapping his niece on the shoulder as he walked by. "We'll see."

* * *

Serena Rialta kept her head down as her carriage approached Monteriggoni, focused on the small devotional in her lap. Father Giovanni, her chaperone for the trip, sat across from her. He looked down his beaked nose as she pretended to read, his beady black eyes watching her. He was a godly man, but often saw his reach extending to all areas of her life. It was because of him that she had covered her hair and veiled herself. He decried feminine beauty as a sin, something that would tempt men away from God. When Serena had said that she would be married for her beauty, and that she needed to embrace that fact, he had made her kneel all day and repeat a prayer asking God to take these sinful thoughts from her. Her knees had ached for days, and she had resented ever voicing Giovanni's thoughts.

She was glad he would be returning to Villa Rialta after she had arrived.

The carriage jerked to a halt, Giovanni almost stumbling out of his seat. "What in the Lord's name?"

"My apologies, Father." The driver called down. "But carriages are not allowed in Monteriggoni." The driver opened the door, handing her out and waiting for the priest to follow. Serena looked up at the walls of her new home. They were tall, far taller than she had ever seen. Every hundred feet or so there was a large, square tower surmounted by a wooden structure and a flag bearing the Auditore arms. It had half an eagle on one side and bars on the other. She touched the silver eagle at her throat. _At least some things won't change._ Her guards dismounted, servants getting out of their wagon and collecting her chests of clothing and belongings. The carriage would wait at the gate, as would the wagon and collected her small basket from the carriage, slipping her devotional inside.

"My apologies, _Madonna_." A soldier, evidenced by his light leather armor and sword said as they walked past him and his twin, guarding the gates. "_Condottiero_ Auditore does not wish his people being run over by _carrucas_, like they have been in other cities."

The guards, in their shining silk and silver, went first with the spears held above their heads, one flying the white eagle of the Rialta family. Her and Father Giovanni followed, watched by the townspeople with unashamed eyes. The streets of Monteriggoni were wide, filled with people going about their business. Merchants cried the value of their wares, courtesans walked the streets and whistled at prospective clients. The good Father sniffed at them, as he did at the rest of the town. The main street they were walking along ran right up to a set of stairs that went past a fountain in the shape of a strange 'A', leaves springing from its sides. Two sets of stairs went up, past the small circular pit between them, which two soldiers were using to practice.

The Villa Auditore itself was beautiful. There was no ornamentation, no decorative carvings. Its lines were pleasing, simple and practical. The second story was surmounted by a single room on the third floor. It was a sturdy home, one that knew what it was. It was a place to raise a family, not a place to show its wealth. A small garden, really only a few trees and some meadows, ran around the back. She could see a few sets of statues, small ones actually, lined up on pedestals around the Villa. She stepped up to the door, merely an archway. The inside was just as sparse as the outside, but it was covered in smooth white marble and it was pleasing to the eye. An ornate chandelier hung over the main floor, candles casting a soft light on the floor. A few paintings hung on the second floor wall, a young woman waiting at the foot of the stairs.

"You must be Claudia." Father Giovanni said, "May I present Serena Rialta." He gestured to her. Sernena bobbed a small bow, keeping her eyes downcast. Claudia nodded to her, rather sharply. Serena smiled, hoping that she would return it. She didn't.

"Your room in on the second floor, to the left." Claudia gestured to a side of the stairs, which her servants made their way up. Once they had settled her chests they came back down. Serena gave them a few florins each, along with a small kiss on the forehead.

"You must be strong, Serena." Father Giovanni said as he turned to leave. "God will help." He made the sign of the cross over her head. And with that he left, as did everything from her old life. She turned to Claudia, dabbing at her eyes with the edge of a sleeve.

"Follow me." Claudia snorted, her attitude dismissive, climbing the stairs and turning down a hallway. Another archway led to a small bedroom, her chests stacked along a wall. "This will be your room, Cook will bring your dinner up later." With that Claudia left her. She sat down on the bed, putting her basket down next to her. She reached inside and withdrew, not her devotional, but her young kitten, Dulcina. The gray tabby kitten mewed softly, but resettled herself on Serena's lap and resumed her sleep. Serena spoke quietly to her kitten.

"Oh Dulcina, everything is so different. I've no friends, no family. Claudia seemed cold to me, and I have done nothing to cause it." She gently scratched behind Dulcina's ears, being rewarded with purring. "I haven't even met the man I'm to marry. I hear he's a strong man, clever, but I do not know him. If he is good or bad. Father even sent me away before he arrived." Her fingers stilled. _Father, I love you but you would run the Villa into the ground. _Back home her nights had consisted of staying up late to review the finances, the income from the vineyards and taxes against her father's expenses of silk and gold. Oft times she would have to change his orders, speak to the merchants and ask for an extension on their payments.

She had begged Carlo to oversee the finances when she had gone, keeping her brother away from his hunts and drinking. It would be hard to leave her father on his own, but she knew that she had to do this. If San Eligius fell, her family would die and she would be passed from man to man. Her father had seen this offer as a way to protect his daughter in case he failed in his defense, and a way to avoid paying too much if he succeeded. The betrothal period would allow Father to increase his finances enough for a modest dowry.

Hopefully Mario would accept that.

Mario Auditore, there were so many rumors surrounding that man. They all agreed that he had only one eye, but debates raged over if it was a gaping mess of flesh or a dark hole in his skull. He was renowned for his fighting prowess, even defeating the Florentine armies back in 1454. Men who had fought under him had praised him as a good man, a simple man who stood by his soldiers on the front lines. Women had whispered the he had taken up with courtesans in every town he had visited.

"_Madonna_?" A soft voice asked. She looked up from her thoughts, seeing a woman standing in the doorway. She held a tray of food in her hands, which she set on a side table. "Eat when you're ready."

"Thank you." Serena replied, moving the kitten off her lap. There was a piece of bread, slathered with butter alongside pieces of duck covered in rosemary. She ate sparingly, her stomach churning with the sudden change of everything. She fed a few slivers of meat to Dulcina. Serena left the tray on the table, loosening her gown and slipping it off. She climbed into bed, under the blankets, in her chemise. With Dulcina in her arms she fell into a fitful sleep, anxious and unsure of what was to come.

* * *

She slowly settled into a rhythm at the Villa Auditore. She would arise, dress herself in one of her simple gowns, and proceed downstairs. She left her fashionable and bejeweled dresses in their chests. The people around here didn't seem to respect wealth, but the person behind it. So she dressed in simple clothing that she could put on herself. Not that she had a choice, the was no maid in the Villa Auditore. Sometimes she hated it, like when she wanted to have a bath and she had to content herself with a ewer and basin. It was nice not to have a girl running around though, getting underfoot and bemoaning the cat hair on her scarlet velvet.

Once she was downstairs, she would try and amuse herself or make herself useful. Claudia was always scratching away at the finances, snapping at Serena when she tried to help. So she contented herself with speaking to the architect that made trips up from the town. He was more than willing to point out places of interest in the model of the town that occupied the majority of the study. He pointed out the bank, the church, and vaguely gestured to several other buildings, including one that had a small rose banner attached to it. Serena had giggled like any maiden would, but she knew what it meant.

Other times she would wander the other rooms, admiring the weapons that were stored in one. They were placed on racks, displayed like works of art made of hammered steel and gold. She looked at them, feeling a slight pang in her heart. They looked so beautiful, almost graceful in their deadliness, and yet she could not use them. All because she was a woman. And for a woman, she was rather outside of the norm. Her mother had not cared one whit when she had run around with the stable boys or farmer's daughters. _Children will be children, there will be plenty of time for her to grow up later Vecchino._ Julia Rialta herself had taught her to read, giving her as many books as she could read. When Julia had to take over her husband's debts, speaking to the merchants on his behalf, she went and learned how to haggle. When they visited other Villas or Palazzos, she was gossiped about behind fans or pillars. Educating a girl, could there be nothing more worthless?

When Julia had died in the birthing bed, Serena had risen to be the true lady of the Villa Rialta. She had clamped down on her sister's expenses, telling them that linen would be fine for one year instead of silk. They had ranted at her, as had her brothers when she had forbid them from tearing up the farmers fields with their hunts. But she had held firm, ignoring their pleas. They had gone to her father, but even Vicchino could not sway his daughter from her stances. She kept the Villa running, sending out more wine when she heard of a party that was being held in Florence. Lorenzo D'Medici had a fondness for the Rialta red, and paid quite well for his shipment.

Medici money could always be counted on.

_But my days of that are over,_ she mused as she walked into a mostly bare room. It held racks for armor, waiting to be filled. _From now on, I will be bearing children and embroidering doublets. _Shaking her head, she walked upstairs. From one side of the stairs she heard whispered prayers, the voice rough and haggard. She walked over, finding an older woman kneeling before a bed on a rich red carpet. The bed was covered in almost identical fabric, soft and rich.

Serena kneeled by her, noting how the woman didn't even speak. She merely smiled, a soft sad smile, but kept praying. Serena added her prayers to hers, beseeching St. Anthony of Padua. _Lord, St. Anthony of Padua, I beseech you to look after both me and this woman. We are both lost in our life, but we know that you will guide us into the light. St. Edward the Confessor, help smooth the marriage ahead of me. Make it a happy one, and if love does not spring, at least keep hate away. St. Joan of Arc, Archangel Michael, protect Mario Auditore on the field of battle. Stand by his side and guide his sword as he defends my family. Saints and our Father in Heaven, watch over this family and this town. Keep my family safe, protect my brothers and sisters._

Serena finished her prayer, crossing herself. The woman did not notice as she left, but Serena noticed a worn rosary in her hands. Her soul unburdened, she went to her room and removed a few florins from her purse. She looked around the Villa, but no one was watching as she left the Villa for the town. A few soldiers glanced at her as she walked by, but made no move to stop her or order her back into the house. She knew the streets from the model, but walking them was different. Here people glanced at her as she walked by, nodding occasionally. She approached a merchant by the church, hawking his sets of rosaries. She bought one with red painted beads, handing over a few florins in exchange.

"Excuse me, are you new to the town?" A voice asked from behind her. Serena turned around to see the local priest standing before her.

"Oh, yes." She replied, replacing her purse in the small pocket sewn into her skirts.

"I hope to see you at Mass, I can see that you are faithful." He said, gesturing to the rosary.

She gave a little laugh. "It is for a woman in the Villa. Her's is worn, I thought she might appreciate a new one."

"Ah, Maria Auditore. The poor woman, her husband and two of her sons were executed in Florence a few years ago. She hasn't spoken much since, merely praying." The priest mused. Serena bid him goodbye, walking back to the Villa. She went upstairs, back to the room. Claudia was standing there, a slim volume in her hand. Her mouth opened when she saw Serena, as if she was going to berate her for being in here. Serena held up a finger, withdrawing the rosary from her pocket. She laid it in front of Maria, then withdrew.

* * *

Mario Auditore returned home a victor, reveling in the cheers he got from his townsfolk. Being the people of a _condotiero_, a victory meant more money for them from the soldiers and safer travels to the larger cities. Few would harass the people of Mario Auditore on the road. Mario smiled as he saw the recently renovated shops, gaily colored banners stirring in the breeze. Ezio had been more than willing to donate the money he had received from certain ... tasks to rebuild the town and furnish the Villa. Behind him strode his men, several eyeing whores who flirted right back. His trusted lieutenant carried the strongbox of florins, wagons bearing barrels of wine rolling up to the Villa. Even farther back walked men bearing stretchers, the comrades that had been lost on this venture. Their bodies would be handed over to the town priest and prepared for burial. He shook the melancholy thought out of his head, instead focused on the Villa.

He could see Claudia in her usual dress, smiling widely. Beside her stood another woman, tall and willowy. Her green eyes made contact with his for one moment, then dropped. He was suddenly aware of the scar that dominated half his face, and had taken his eyesight with it. An unsightly wound, one that most women shied away from. It was no shock that she had dropped her gaze. She was in a simple green dress, the only ornamentation a small golden chain. She didn't look rich, just like a well to do merchant's daughter. He greeted Claudia with an embrace, asked after his niece's health, then turned to her.

"_Messer _Auditore." She intoned, dipping her head. Her voice was feminine, light and happy. He hadn't heard light and happy in awhile. "It is a pleasure."

"Indeed." He replied, nodding his head. "You know my name, but what is your's?"

"Serena Rialta, _Messer_."

"Welcome to my home Serena." Mario gestured to the Villa. "Would you like to walk for a little while?"

"_Si_." Serena took his arm and he guided her around the back. They maneuvered through the garden until they found a bench. He handed her down, then sat next to her. Serena wasn't sure quite what to make of him. The sightless eye bothered her, as did the large scar that came with it. But he seemed to be a strong man, loud and boisterous when he had wrapped Claudia in a hug. His men had gone freely into the Villa to leave off the payment, and had seemed to like him well enough. The rumors she had heard didn't mention the ruff he wore around his neck, nor how the scar on his face cut through his eyebrow and had grayed his eye. But his other one was bright, quick, and by the way he glanced around, was able to do the work of two on its own.

"How long have you been here?" Mario asked, jerking her out of her thoughts.

"A week, my Father wanted to get me out before the fighting began, he thought it would be safest for me to be as far away from San Eligius as possible." Mario snorted at that. "It is beautiful here, though, you have a fine house."

"And an old one. I was born here, as was my father. It was my brother who preferred the city, setting himself up at the Palazzo Auditore."

"Why anyone would want to leave the country is beyond me." Serena smiled. "The city feels cramped compared to this." When Mario looked over at her, she felt her heart jump a little. He was smiling, his facial scar crinkled up by his smile. Suddenly her hand on his arm felt warm, as did he.

"Good a reason as any." He agreed. She considered the battered cape he wore, embroidered with the Auditore arms. Beneath it he wore a red linen doublet, sensible. Small pieces of leather armor covered parts of it, but they seemed to be well oiled and taken care of. One of his shoulder pieces had the same strange crest she had seen in front of the Villa. The shirt he wore was even fresh, white and clean. She watched as his face sobered, his expression thoughtful. "Do you want this? If not, I can return you to your father."

"To do what? Go home and be berated for losing a match? Be bartered off the next time he forgets to pay a trader? Become a brood mare? There aren't many options for a fourth daughter." Serena didn't realize how bitter she sounded. "At least here, I enjoy it. The rolling hills, the people." She glanced over at Mario for a second. He actually appeared to be listening, that didn't happen often with men she had known.

"But do you want this?"

"I don't know. It's only been a week, but I find it rather enjoyable. Although, I do miss home." Serena felt her voice hitch as she thought of home. Her brothers, causing a mess around the house. Her sisters, preening and primping in their rooms. What she missed the most though was the solemn peace she had felt around her mother's grave, the flowers she had left everyday. But here there was so much more in Monteriggoni. New people to meet, new stores to visit. Farms and wineries rolling over the surrounding hills, vines fat with dark grapes, light grapes, and well, any grapes. It was new, different from the fields and pastures she had known.

"It must be difficult."

"Just," She sniffed, remembering home. "A little overwhelming." Mario was quiet for a few minutes, giving her time to admire his profile. He had a strong face, his features firm. His slicked back hair only added to his looks, even though she could see a few silver strands of hair beginning to appear. He was handsome, if a little older. He was probably approaching his fortieth year, while she had only seen twenty three, a spinster for her age. She wanted to tell him that he had a beautiful home, town, people, but he stopped her.

"I will release you from this, if you so desire." Mario said, holding up a finger when she tried to speak. "But I will also offer you another deal. You stay for three months, and if you wish to leave, by all means go ahead. If not, stay. Either with me or in the town. It matters not."

"You would do that?" She asked. He nodded. "I accept." Mario smiled, pleased with her decision. She seemed a pleasant woman, even voicing her own opinions. He knew most women were bred to keep those thoughts inside, but she had let them out. A strong, opinionated woman was always welcome in his home. Female assassins had taught him well enough what women were capable of. Perhaps she wasn't the empty headed bird he had expected.

He stood up, offering her a hand. "Come _madonna_, dinner will be ready soon." She smiled and placed her hand in his, rising lightly to her feet. As she did she let the large, curly mane of black hair she possessed swing around. Mario stiffened slightly, trying to ignore the urge to wrap his fingers in that luscious hair. He truly enjoyed long hair on a woman, the way it moved like a wave with a twist of her head. She seemed completely innocent though, so he coughed lightly into his other hand. With his limited eyesight he swayed a little, always had, but she accommodated. She didn't say anything, merely shifted herself whenever he did.

The Auditores gathered, what there was of them. Maria kept her head down, her lips still moving in prayer even as a plate of rabbit was placed before her. Claudia pushed her food around without eating, giving short answers to Mario's questions. Serena ate heartily, but was silent. Mario looked around the room, growing frustrated with the protracted silence. After the plates had been taken away he stood. "What is the matter?" He boomed, startling the women. "You are all acting like someone has forced you to be here."

"Nothing." Claudia grunted, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"Nothing." Serena agreed. The general feeling of the dinner had been awkwardness. Claudia has seemed unwilling to accept a new member of the household, if only for a short amount of time. Maria remained quiet, lost in her grief. Only Mario had talked, but even then it sounded hollow. He seemed unable to feel the mood of the room, how the women were regarding each other, sizing the others up. Serena could tell that Claudia and Maria were not sure of her, but she was sure if she caused anything bad, they would not hesitate to throw her out. Claudia excused herself, as did Maria a moment later. Serena was left sitting next to Mario, unsure of what to do.

She stood, Mario scrambling to his feet beside her. "Good night _Messer _Auditore."

"Mario, call me Mario." He replied, taking her hand. He squeezed it gently before letting her go.

"Good night, Mario."

* * *

Serena woke up early the next morning, dressing herself and forgoing breakfast. The Villa was still dark, she could hear the gentle breathing of Maria and Claudia from one room, the heavy snoring of Mario from another. She padded softly down the stairs, lighting the candles in the office from the remains of the fire. She then grabbed the massive book detailing the accounts of the Villa, sat down, and pulled out a quill. She didn't use it to write, merely to mark her place as she read through each column. Everything was laid out in a plain hand, influxes coming when taxes were collected each month and expenditures going out when Ezio, the ever absent nephew, ordered new renovations for the town. So far, the Villa Auditore was making money, but spending a lot of it.

"You!" A voice hissed. Serena looked up to see Claudia standing in the doorway. "Get away from that."

"You do fine work, I haven't noticed a mistake anywhere." Serena mentally calmed herself, checking each figure.

"And it's my work." Claudia replied, knocking the pen from her grasp.

"Claudia, can we stop this, please?" Serena asked, rubbing her temples. "Just because I'm trying to do something to help the Villa doesn't mean I'm replacing you. Alright?"

"Then find some other way to help. Finances are mine." Claudia shooed her out of the chair. Serena watched her patiently scratch away figures, a feeling of hopelessness settling into the pit of her stomach. What she wanted to do was run over, smack that little _cagna _across her face, and tell her that she was only trying to help. She owed the Auditore, at least for housing her for three months. Her mother had always told her that she should help people, and she had tried. She had helped the cooks, the milkmaids, the farmers and other servants at the Villa Rialta and San Eligius. Sure she was selfish every once in awhile, keeping the book she had promised to lend her sister or skipping Mass one day so that she and Sofia, her elder sister, could go find flowers by a river.

But Sofia had left five years ago, married to some landowner near Rome. Mother had died not long after, laboring to bring her third son into the world. Both had not been long, the baby stilling before it could even be named. Serena had run to her mother, holding her hand even as it cooled. From there she had been returned to the classic role of the woman. While her mother had been alive her association with the farmers, merchants, any of the workers at Villa Rialta, learning the ins and outs of their trade, had been tolerated as long as she had completed her lessons before hand. She was expected to keep inside from now, to try and make a match with some family for the benefit of _La Famiglia_.

It was madness.

To be taken from the freedom she had enjoyed, the societal movement that was afforded to the fourth daughter of a family filled with children. Forced back into a world of shimmering fabrics, sparkling jewels, and complete and utter boredom. Her reading became a way to escape from the strangeness her life had become. The books allowed her to leave, if only for awhile, running the Villa allowed her to get some freedom. She walked out of the Villa, hoping a turn in the garden could take her mind off of it. She could see a few of Mario's soldiers patrolling the walls. She nodded to them, and they to her. Serena looked over at the sound of combat from the front of the Villa. She made her way over, leaning against a hay wagon that was by the stairs to the training pit.

Mario was fighting, sword in his hand. A _condottieri _was across from him, both of his hands managing a large sword. She watched as Mario ducked under the sword, tapping the man lightly with the flat of his blade. The soldier doubled his efforts, bringing the great-sword around in massive two handed blows. The elder man ducked around every swing, parrying with his shorter sword and sending the soldier reeling back. Mario suddenly sprung forward, driving his forearm into the man's face. The great-sword clattered out of his hand, and Mario's blade was at his throat in an instant. His missing eyesight hardly seemed to bother him.

"Getting better, but not quite there." Mario chided as he dropped his sword. Serena offered a light bit of applause, smiling when he noticed her. She liked him, at least as a person. He climbed out of the pit, the short cape he was wearing sending the Auditore crest swirling over his arm. He replaced the sword in its sheath, sitting on the stone wall by her. "You enjoyed it?"

"You're quite talented." She complimented. "But he didn't put up much of a fight compared to you."

"He is young, green. But he will learn." Mario shrugged. "They all learn, and they come to me to learn."

"Maybe I should be calling you _Maestro _Auditore." Serena gave a little giggle at the look of amusement on Mario's face.

"Only if you're a pupil."

They both had a little laugh at that, only distracted when a small gray blur bounded across the pavement to crawl up Serena's skirts. Mario watched as she cupped her hands around the gray ball of fur, drawing the kitten onto her lap. He reached a finger over, scratching the little _gatta _under her chin. Serena smiled. "Dulcina likes you." Mario chuckled a bit as the kitten increased her purring, clearly pleased with the attention.

"How old is she?" He asked, letting his fingers dance along the cat's spine. She arched her back in response, digging her little paws into Serena's lap.

"A few months, I had to sneak her out. Father didn't want me to bring her." Serena tickled the top of her tail, and Mario smiled again. They talked a little more before Mario suggested getting a meal at the inn in Monteriggoni. The Villa Auditore itself did not possess a kitchen, food being brought up from the town. The inn always provided for the Villa, and she could see why. It was a light place, a small garden in the middle. The common room had windows all around, letting light in. They sat at a small table, lit by a small candle. The inn was more than willing to serve them their finest cheeses, olives, bread and wine. Serena glanced around noting how everyone seemed to be looking at everything and everyone but them. "I've got the feeling everyone's watching us."

Mario glanced around, noting how the innkeeper blushed when he looked at her and returned to her work. "There's not much gossip around here."

"Well, whatever keeps them happy."

* * *

Serena lost track of time. Every day she'd try to help around the Villa, cleaning or doing something. Then she and Mario would share lunch, talk for awhile, and wind up at dinner together. And they'd talk, oh how they'd talk. Mario surprised to learn she had received an education, and their topics ranged from history and philosophy to astronomy and science. One of their rare arguments had come up when discussing Islamic theories that the Earth was not the center of the universe, the Sun was. Mario refused to believe any point that she suggested, refuting them with his own. They had argued, eventually running out of proof and just getting angry at each other. Finally, after Mario had said that she had obviously exerted herself to much, and she had gotten angry, storming away.

She had stayed away for two days before he had come to her room, arguably with a few pieces of string for Dulcina. Serena had thanked him, turning to drag the string along for the kitten. She still remembered the way Mario had stood there, watching. "I am sorry, _madonna_. I was rude and what I said was uncalled for."

She wanted to bristle, to tell him that she wasn't like those shrinking violets that occupied other cities. But she couldn't stay angry, especially after he had apologized all on his own. "I acted foolishly, as well." Serena replied. "Forgive me?"

"If you forgive me." Mario had answered, settling himself down on the bed next to her. Braced by a sudden urge, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. It was rough with stubble, hardened from the Tuscany sun, but it felt nice. When she had pulled back she could see Mario blushing slightly. She saw his hand resting on the blankets and covered it with her own.

"You're forgiven." She had told him, enjoying his embarrassment. A few days after he had shown up with a pair of horses, asking if she could ride. After being told she could, Mario had taken her around the lands outside Monteriggoni, showing her the farms and the small mine outside of town. The people seemed to love Mario, calling out greetings to him when he rode by, asking after his health and his family. She herself had received a few deep nods, but no questions. Until they had stopped at a farm, hoping to pay for some food to have a little lunch.

"Oh, _Messer _Auditore, of course. But, if you'll forgive me our cow has gone into labor and the calf won't come out." The farmer's wife said, turning her head as her husband came around the corner. He shook his head, scuffing the ground with his boot.

"Show me." Serena ordered, sliding off her horse and walking around the corner. Sure enough, a large cow was struggling to give birth. Ignoring the mess on the ground, Serena knelt and gently ran her hand over the cow's swollen stomach. Another contraction rumbled through her, sending her grunting. The farmer stood off to the side, wringing his hands. Mario was by him, watching intently. Serena shook them off, focusing on the cow. Two legs were sticking out of her, and luckily they were the front legs she wanted to see. She turned to the farmer. "Fetch some rope. Two short lengths."

He was back in an instant. "Here, _madonna_." Serena nodded to him, taking the rope and tying it lightly around the two hooves. She waved Mario over, not even questioning the fact that he obeyed her.

"When I get to three, pull." Serena ordered, handing him one of the lengths. He nodded, waiting for her command. She felt for contractions, and when she felt one coming she counted. "One, two, three." Both of them pulled, bringing the calf's legs out farther. They repeated the process once more before with a wet _schwick _the calf slid out. Ignoring the blood and fluid on her dress Serena wiped away the placenta, heartened when the calf began to breathe. The cow stood up hurriedly, shaking slight but still able to begin to lick the newborn clean.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Mario asked, sitting back and watching the animals. It had been hell pulling that little guy out, and he was filthy as well. But Serena didn't seem to care. She was smiling, even though her skirts were filthy and was covered in shit and who knows what else. He had seen that expression before, mothers tended to have it when watching their children play.

"When I was a child, my mother let me run around with all the farmers at Rialta. One of them had to do the same thing, he showed me how later." Serena replied, looking down at herself. "But it wasn't as messy then."

Mario laughed loudly, helping her to her feet. The farmer was grateful enough to provide them with a bucket of water to wash as best they could, along with some simple fare for their lunch. When they arrived back to Monteriggoni, rumors began to fly that Mario had obviously taken the girl out in the fields, hence the blood. When the farmer came in to sell some of his crop, he put them to rest, saying that Serena had merely helped birth a calf.

The people of Monteriggoni had gained a bit of respect for her Mario realized. When she left they greeted her happily, and if she bought anything heavy one of his _condottieri _was always willing to carry if for her. He smiled when he thought of her, her hair hanging around her shoulders as she looked out over the town. The first month had passed in happiness, but with the second month came Ezio, and trouble.

Serenea had known some about Ezio, that he was Mario's nephew but kept to Florence mostly. The first time she saw him though was after he had rode for a full day, run to the Villa, and had immediately called for Mario. Mario moved from where he had been sitting by her, striding downstairs to greet his _nipote_, her on his heels. The younger Auditore was dressed in strange garb that she hadn't seen before, his robes white and red. He was handsome too, his classic looks marred only by a scar on his lip.

"Uncle, the Pazzi are going to kill _Il Magnifico_!" Ezio stated as Mario jogged down the stairs.

"They'd take _Firenze_, and every Medici with them." Mario said, then let loose with a string of curses that impressed Serena more than upset her. "When, where, how?"

"Sunday, as the Medici head to Mass under _El Duomo_. They've been backed by the Pope, weapons bought and paid for."

"Ezio, you return to Florence tomorrow. Protect Lorenzo, Giuliano. Use your training." Mario urged. "Tonight though, stay and rest. The Pazzi cannot breach the _Palazzo Medici_. The Medici are not stupid, nor should you be." Mario gestured for Ezio to come with him. "Serena, go to town and tell Juliana we will need extra food for tonight." Serena nodded, even though she wanted to know what Mario and Ezio would be talking about. But she watched him go to his study, after telling Claudia to find somewhere else to be for the moment.

Mario rifled through reports on his desk, little bits of information that his spied across _Italia_ had gleaned. But none had mentioned Pope Innocent signing off on an assassination, especially of the Medici. Mario cured the Pazzi to the lowest depth of Hell. Everything was on the verge of falling apart, just as they had after Giovanni's execution. When informed of his brother and nephew's death, Mario had taken three _condotierri_ out to the training pit and fought. He had been hit, beaten and bruised by those three.

But he had hit harder.

The soldiers had left after he almost broke their necks, leaving him alone. He had kicked at every bit of stone in his path, cut the bark off of a tree, and finally found his way to the wine cellar. That was where his lieutenant had found him later, drunker than he had ever been. Giamocco had been good, taking him up to his bed. Mario had sat there in a drunken haze, crying for his little brother and _nipotes_. He had awoke the next morning, with a pounding headache and a hard heart. One of spies had reported when Ezio had left Florence, and that the Pazzi were waiting on the road. Unwilling to let the last of his family die he had rode to them, bringing them back to the Villa.

"Uncle, can you send some men with me to defend against the Pazzi?" Ezio asked, leaning against the pedestal facing the Codex pages. "There are bound to be more men than i can handle alone."

"If the Pazzi saw the men, they'd call off the attack." Mario hated what he said next. "The Medici have to be at risk for the _Fiorentini_ to care enough to throw the Pazzi out." Ezio nodded at this, but quickly spoke up again.

"Are congratulations in order, Uncle? She is quite pretty."

"Ezio, not yet, but hopefully soon." Mario chuckled. They spent the next few hours discussing strategy, where Ezio should position himself and talked about fighting strategies against men ranging from a couple to a small army. There were variables to consider, whether the people would rise up to help or fight against him. Serena came in once, after knocking. She had brought wine, goat meat, bread and grapes. After their brief repast, Ezio had gone upstairs to see his mother and sister, leaving Mario and Serena to talk.

"What is happening to deserve all of this?" Serena asked, waving her hand to indicate the events of today. Mario let his breath out slowly, unsure of exactly what to tell her. He didn't want to tell her of the Assassins, then have her leave. But if she stayed she would have to learn sometime.

"The Medici are old friends of the Auditore, and Ezio has been attending to family business in Florence. Therefore, he is the perfect one to defend their family." He finally settled on a simplified explanation, dropping all references to Assassins and Templars. Serena had nodded, but he could see that she wasn't satisfied with his explanation. He watched her leave with a bitter taste in his mouth, wanting to tell her the truth. Ezio left the next morning, a letter following a few days later.

Lorenzo had been saved, but Giuliano had fallen to their blades. Francesco Pazzi had been killed, then strung up for the city to see. Anyone with connection to the Pazzi had been hunted down by the viscious mobs roaming _Firenze_. Their bodies were sent to rest outside the _Palazzo Medici_ as gifts to Lorenzo. _Il Magnifico _had refused these gifts, but had renovated and reopened the _Palazzo Auditore _in thanks to Ezio. Medici guards would see to its protection, and any Auditore was welcome to return to Florence.

The third month came, and Mario dreaded each day approaching Serena's decision. He saw her everyday, played with Dulcina who was getting larger, and felt at peace for the first time in awhile. He was in his office when Serena had approached, dressed in one of her best dresses. She had abandoned the fashionable dress of Florence when she had arrived, opting for simple gowns, but today she was dressed opulently, jewels at her throat and wrists.

"Mario, I've decided." She said, walking forward. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, anxious about her decision. "I will stay in Monteriggoni," Mario smiled at her words. "With you."

He stood from his desk, moving to a bookcase. "I must show you something, and then give me your decision again." He told her, finding what he was looking for. The bookcase slid out of the way, revealing a large hallway. Small lanterns lit the way down, and Mario took her arm as he guided her down, farther and farther through the hallway. As he walked, he spoke. "There have always been people who will take power and misuse it, to choke the people under their rule. And there are always those who oppose them, although they only received their current titles recently. Hundreds of years ago, with the Crusades there came an order of knights, known as the Templars. They sought to rule all they saw, conquer every people. A group in the Muslim Empire resisted, the Assassins. They fought against the Templars, secretly and in the shadows. The Templars still exist today, as do the Assassins." Mario grew quiet as they approached a large chamber. Six statues stood in alcoves, massive and imposing. Serena looked at each of them, noting that one was even a woman. "The Auditore family has been resisting the Templars for years. That was why the templars killed my brother, Ezio's father. Ezio is hunting down every Pazzi and Templar he can find, hoping to bring them to a halt." Serena looked back at Mario. "He does this at my order, from the head of the Italian Assassins. Now, being an Assassin's wife is trying. Rarely do we die quietly in our beds, and our enemies are vast. Knowing this, make your decision again."

Serena looked at each statue, noting how they stood tall and firm. Every one of them had believed in their cause, fought for the people around them. They had loved, fought, and died. She stopped in front of the woman, reading the inscription.

_Amunet, the Assassin who killed Cleopatra.  
A poisoner.  
She freed the people of Egypt by throwing an asp into Cleopatra's bed.  
Let her tale be a warning to all who would underestimate a woman.  
She loved, she lived, and she killed.  
Nothing is true, everything is permitted._

She turned back to Mario, her hand on the pedestal. "I will stay, with you, Mario. Nothing could dissuade me." She walked back over to him. "I'm happy here, I can be who I want. I don't have people breathing down my neck about what I should do. I love Monteriggoni, her people, her sights and sounds. I feel like I've really come home. And," She stepped into Mario's arms, feeling them wrap around her waist. "I love you. The scar, the ruff you wear, all of it." Mario drew her into a kiss, pressing his lips to hers and she knew this was what she wanted. This connection, the bond that had formed between them over the months.

* * *

The wedding took place three weeks later. Ezio brought his friend Leonardo Da Vinci from Florence, and representatives of all the families Mario had fought for came to Monteriggoni bearing gifts and warm tidings. Claudia and Maria, who had been shaken somewhat out of her stupor of grief, helped decorate the Villa with flowers and ribbons. Serena's father and her brother, Carlo, arrived five days before the ceremony with twenty wagons bearing casks of Rialta wine and chests of florins as her dowry. The entire town had been invited to the ceremony, waiting outside the small church that served the town. Serena brought out the gown she had brought with her three months ago, Mario ordered a new cape bearing the Auditore arms.

Mario made his way to the church first, greeted by the cheers of his people and shouts from her _condottieri_. They cleared a way for him to proceed under the pennants and flowers and flags that had been hung over the city. He approached the altar and was blessed by the priest, who was overwhelmed by the fact that he got to oversee a marriage of this magnitude. Serena followed on the arm of her father, veiled with Venetian lace. The townspeople called down blessings on her, throwing flower petals before her as she made her way inside. After her father lifted her veil she kissed his cheeks, then approached Mario. He looked radiant, his hair slicked back, skin golden, and even his sightless eye looked a little clearer. He held her hand through the lace of her cuffs, ensconced beneath the green silk dress, weighted down with emeralds and pearls. The priest called the congregation, and God, to witness this union before him. At the proper time, Mario pulled two small gold bands from his doublet.

"I take you as my wife." He said, slipping the ring over her finger.

She took the other one from his palm. "I take you as my husband." Mario smiled widely, not even waiting for the priest's command. He drew her close, kissing her as cheers exploded around them. The bells began to ring, tolling out the joy of the day. As Mario and Serena made their way down the aisle they could hear the townspeople outside, chanting in unison.

"AU-DI-TO-RE! AU-DI-TO-RE!" They boomed, devolving into cheers when the couple emerged from the church. A path was quickly cleared to the Villa Auditore, flowers raining on them as they made their way through. After they had climbed the stairs, standing before the Assassin's sigil fountain, Mario turned to the crowd.

"I give you Lady Serena Auditore!" He boomed, gesturing to Serena. She waved to them, happy beyond belief. They yelled, screamed, shook their fists in the air. A few soldiers started it, but the cheer soon made its way through the crowd.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Mario turned to her, a wolfish grin on his face. Serena smirked, then leaned up and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. This was met with boos form the crowds, cries for a real kiss. Mario took his turn then, placing his arms around her waist, bending her over backwards and kissing her so passionately she thought her head might burst from the euphoria that had overtaken her. There was a resounding cheer, soldiers stamping their feet in applause. The newlyweds ascended the stairs, moving into the Villa. Mario swept her into his arms as they crossed into the main room, kissing her again as he head was close to his. The guests quickly began to appear, causing him to set her down and attend to them.

The day wore on, turning into night. As it grew dark, lanterns were lit in the town and tables were dragged out of homes and into the streets. Tonight the people at as good as nobles, feating on suckling pig, salads, venison, fish and wine. The soldiers held contests, seeing who had the truest aim, the strongest arm. The winner got a cask of wine, and a comely courtesan to go with it. Mario laughed out loud when he learned of it, starting the others around him. A massive table had been assembled in the main room of the Villa, groaning under the weight of the feast and wine. Slowly the night wore on, guests leaving their best wishes as they made their way unsteadily back down to the inns. Before he left, Leonardo presented her with a drawing he had done of her at the altar, perfectly capturing the rapturous look that had been present on both husband and wife's face. He promised to paint a full portrait of it later. Ezio gave her a fan, painted with a scene of eagles flying together, one white, one red. Serena's father wished her long life and many children, then promptly fell into the plate of greens he had been eating. Carlo wound up carrying him back to the inn over his shoulder.

That night was one of the greatest of Serena's life, feeling Mario lean over her, kiss her, caress her, the feel of his hand against hers even under the table. Once the guests had left, Claudia and Maria excused themselves, saying that the couple should have privacy tonight. While Serena was unsure of what to do, Mario wasn't. He introduced her to the bedroom arts slowly, gentle when it hurt but when she gasped and begged he sped up. She wasn't sure they even slept that night, so many times did they find pleasure in each other's arms. But she knew they must have fallen asleep sometime when she woke up the next morning in Mario's embrace. Now she knew why people described lust as being able to conquer a man, why people gave themselves over to it. But how could it be a sin when the feeling was so, so, delectable? Why would God have made the act so pleasurable if he hated it?

It was a new beginning for her in life, and she welcomed it with open arms.

* * *

A few months after their wedding, when it became apparent that she wasn't with child, Mario introduced her to weapons. "You married into the Assassins, so you must learn." He had said, giving her her first lesson. Firstly, that you had to be firm in your cause. He had given her an old, worn dagger, and then set her against one of the younger _condottieri__. She was uncomfortable in the hose and tunic he had provided for her, her hair getting in the way. The condottieri _was easily able to disarm her, over and over again. Her body ached, bones creaked, and she saw no purpose to this training. Mario wouldn't listen to her complaints, merely telling her to watch her opponent.

She tried, trying to gauge his movements but she found it difficult until she looked at it from a new angle. It was like a dance, two figures gracefully moving around each other, trying to touch but never succeeding. When the soldier came after her, striking at her throat she leaned away. Her feet remembered their previous roles, twirling her around as if she had been dancing at some Lord's ball. Her knife was now at the man's throat, and he smiled at her progress.

"You can't dance around, you have to face him head on." Mario urged when he saw her. "You could twirl into his sword, you can't if he's dead!" She tried to do that in her next bout, but she went sprawling again. Mario watched as she went back to her old way, dancing around the blows aimed at her and slashing at her attacker in return. It was close quarters fighting, involving fists and forearms as much as blades.

One day Mario approached her with a sword, saying she needed to learn to keep her enemies at bay. Swordplay was harder than the daggers, mainly because the sword felt so heavy she could swear her arm would drop off. When the _condottieri _swung his own sword, she heard the glorious clash of steel before her blade dropped from her hand. Mario shook his head when she told him, saying she needed to practice with the blade every day, holding it up as long as she could.

"I don't see why I have to learn this." She griped one night after a particularly harsh session. She could barely feel her arms, her legs were aching and she felt like she might expel dinner later. "Claudia isn't."

"Claudia isn't the wife of an Assassin." Mario replied from his place in the bed. "Claudia barely leaves the Villa. You on the other hand, are my wife and seem to feel comfortable going anywhere. I don't want you going to visit some farm and having a band of outlaws run down on you."

"So you want me walking around armed to the teeth, like Ezio?" She asked, coming over to the bed.

Mario grabbed her waist, flipping her so that she lay on top of him. "Ezio can take care of himself. I do not worry about Ezio." He kissed her, placing feathery kisses along her. Serena sighed, letting him continue his kisses farther and farther down. The next day she awoke refreshed and she found Mario testing blades in the armory. He handed a different sword than the one she had been using to her. It was lighter, able to whistle when she swung it and it seemed to cut the air.

"Use this, it is lighter than the other." Mario gently lifted her hand, showing how the blade was perfectly balanced. "A perfect partner for your dance." Serena lifted her eyebrows and gave a small chuckle. She kept training, dancing around the _condottieri _and striking back when she was able. Soon she was getting better, and one day Mario himself got into the pit against her. He held his sword, taking his stance.

Serena gaped at him for a moment. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see how you're doing." Mario smirked. "No better way than sparring." Mario came at her, his sword swinging downwards. She barely got her own sword up to deflect him, and the strength behind his blow pushed her back. She dug her feet in, pushing back. Mario swiped again, she sidestepped this time. She pivoted on her feet, swinging around Mario's back. He turned faster than she thought able, sending her sword spinning out of her hand. Serena did the only thing she could think of, flinging herself forward. Mario's hands instinctively went around her, his lips on hers. They were both sweaty, sore, and were in need of a bath, but it was perfect. When Mario pulled back, she drew the dagger she had from her belt and brought it up slowly.

"Not bad." He chuckled, reaching out. He twisted her hand, grabbing the knife and turning it on her. "But you still have more to learn."

Her next weapon to master was the bow and arrow. Her hands, already callused from sword and knife, still bled when she shot her first wayward arrows. The first day she never hit the target, even as a soldier tried to help her. It was three days before one of her arrows even grazed the target, and a month before she could aim only slightly better. Mario watched as she struggled, inwardly telling himself that maybe he was overdoing everything. But eventually, after days of bleeding hands and screaming muscles, she could shoot an arrow as well as some of his soldiers.

Months went by, training and fighting. Any fat that was on her body was stripped away, replacing it with sinewy muscle. Mario seemed to enjoy it, and when they lay together in their bed he ran his hands over her back, tracing her muscles.

Ezio showed up every now and then, rooting out Pazzi conspirators in San Gimignano. He let her practice with his hidden blade, promising the Leonardo would make her one as soon as he was able. She showed him how to dance around his opponents, teaching him her dance. Mario watched with glee as Ezio stumbled after her, trying to follow her moves. He would never have the grace she had, but he did passably well. Occasionally Ezio brought a painting home. She and Claudia would spend a day bickering over where to hang it, but eventually it would get settled.

* * *

After Mario had taught her all he could, almost a year after their marriage, she turned to her own pursuits.

Mario's library possessed many volumes bound in leather and in a variety of languages. Texts from Assassins of old lined the walls, detailing their tactics, histories, accounts of their victims. She read as much as she could, and when she found books that were in a language she didn't know she drafted Mario to come read them to her. He was patient with her, reading slowly and backing up when she asked him to.

She pulled one book down, bound in dark leather with a golden snake embossed on the front. Inside, she found the memoirs of Amunet. It detailed her life, growing up in Egypt under the Ptolemies. She wrote about how her parents had sold her to the Assassins from Alexandria for thirty drachmas. Once she arrived to the white marble city she was taught how to steal, kill, and she found her calling.

Poisons.

_It is amazing, how much can take life. The juice from a single berry could poison a salad and kill dozens. A single leaf could kill the strongest warrior. A powder could send a man into agony, revealing what he would never have said during torture before begging for his own death. I set myself to learn all that I could. Mentor Olympas was not happy, saying that I was to insinuate myself into the court of the Ptolemies, themselves renowned poisoners, through skills I would learn as a __thief. But he let me learn under the old crone who oversaw the poison production. I will write all that she taught me, for the Assassins yet to come._

Serena read, she understood, and she put it into practice. There were plenty of empty buildings in Monteriggoni, and she easily took one over to create her workshop. She bought herbs from the _dottore_ and went out on her own to find plants. Mario watched as she mixed plants, oils, and slowly learned how to poison. Amunet's writings grew tattered from how many times she leafed through them. Mario, dear, dear, Mario made sure she got whatever she needed. Glass from Venice was ordered, vials arriving packed in straw. Ezio visited occasionally, taking many of her vials every time he came. He had brought her the blade as promised, along with one for Mario as well.

Even in Monteriggoni, though, a poisoner's shop would not have been accepted. So she fronted it as perfumery. She mixed a substance that she derived from beeswax with oils from flowers she collected around the town and Villa. Sometimes she would take a trip to _Firenze_ to purchase supplies and sell her own. Mario came with her once, and they spent a few nights in the Palazzo Auditore. It was one night that he finally told her what happened to his eye.

"Years ago, a little over twenty in fact, the Florentines decided they wanted to add Monteriggoni to their land. I did not know what they were seeking at first," He murmured, trailing his fingers down a leg. "But I would never let them have my town, and never will. I kept my town safe, beating those _bastardos _and sending them out. But then we learned what they had come for." Mario leaned his head back on the pillow, and Serena arranged herself so that she could lay her head on his chest.

"What?"

"They were searching for an artifact, something of great power. Some Assassins seek these out, but they try to destroy them because of the power and corruption they cause. I was never one of them, but it would bring trouble to my town, so I searched. My great-grandfather hid it down the old well, draining it dry. I lost friends that day, the elder Auditores protected it to well. Pits, arrows, wires, they cut all of us down. I had just made it past one hazard, when it hit," Mario raised a hand up, feeling the scar across his eye. "A pendulum, a razor sharp axe on the end. It slashed my face, and I had never felt pain like that. But then we were through.

It waited for us, a small wooden box. I lifted the lid for only a second, seeing a folded piece of cloth before my men, what remained, came upon me. They were hurt, bleeding, and all they wanted was the box. I could feel it to, a sense that pressing that cloth to my face would heal me, but I could not. I told them as much, and they attacked." Mario sighed. "I killed them, my own soldiers. I took the box away, ignoring the voice that now scraped through my mind. Pain was all that kept me going, and the thought that I could have it taken away was one of the greatest temptations. I hid it, then got myself to the doctor. The man saved my life, if not my eye. I gave the box to Giovanni, who passed it off to friends in Rome, and I have no idea where it went afterwards."

Mario needed comfort after that, and she was more than willing.

* * *

Ezio occasionally wrote to them from Venice. He described the city in rather odd terms. Sometimes he waxed poetic about the canals, the brightly colored buildings compared to the dirty and downtrodden people. Other times he mentioned how there was no greater distance between wealth and poorness than the one seen in this city. He described the gang of thieves he had fallen in with, a group run by a man named Antonio.

Mario laughed at that. "Antonio will teach him a thing or two!"

"You know him?" Serena asked from her place in a chair, playing with kittens that Dulcina had just had.

"Antonio's an Assassin, one of the best thieves we've got." When Mario spoke of the Assassins, she didn't quite know what to feel. She was trained, she knew how to kill a man, and no doubt her poisons had, but she had never fought for the Assassins. It was as if she existed in a middle ground, partially an Assassin, but partly a Lady of a country Villa. It was uncomfortable, but Mario didn't seem to notice. "He's been in Venice for years, training his own little guild of pickpockets and whores. He keeps information flowing in, making sure that the Doge doesn't try anything against the people."

"Ezio was lucky to find him."

"Wasn't luck, Antonio probably knew the second he got off the boat." Mario chortled. "The man has Venice in his hand." Letters kept coming, filed away in Mario's desk. Some contained Codex pages, delivered personally by one of Antonio's thieves. Others contained feathers, with instruction to place them in the pearwood box Maria kept in her room. The elder Auitore watched as she slipped them in, and Serena would join her in prayer each time she did. Sometimes she would bring Ezio's letters up to Maria and read them aloud.

"I have witnessed many things in my life." Serena read. "But Carnivale is something beyond even my scope. Every person wears a mask, and you may meet a friend and fight or see an enemy and share a flagon of wine. Music winds through the city, and dancing couples can be seen on every corner. The gondoliers join in, even if their songs trample over the others. Parties are hosted, coin is bet, won and lost. And at night, there are fireworks. They go off with a great bang, and it is as if the sun itself exploded. It is beautiful, but deadly. There are reports every year of people dying after one failed to take off into the night sky. I must go, Antonio and Leonardo wish to discuss plans. Yours, Ezio." When she was finished she would leave the letter by Maria. It would always be back to Mario's desk by morning, folded again and again.

Ezio remained in Venice for years, sending back pieces of art and bits of his plan for taking down the Templars in that town. In was in this period of absence, and the fourth year of their marriage, that Serena found herself pregnant. She waited to tell Mario until she was absolutely sure, but she found herself in front of him one day. He was sitting in his office, going over Ezio's latest report from Venice when she walked up.

"Mario, _amore_." She spoke softly.

"Yes?"

"I am with child." Serena spoke slowly, and Mario seemed to go into shock. She brought his hand up, placing it on her stomach. He seemed to marvel at his own hand, infinitely gentle and yet probing.

"After so long?" He asked, looking at her. She nodded. "A child," He considered that fact for a moment. "Alright, up to bed with you. No training, no poisons, no riding until that little one comes out." He took her by the arm, puling her after him as he climbed the stairs. "Is your bed warm enough? Do you need more pillows?" Serena finally dug her feet in, stopping him.

"Mario, stop. It will be fine." She smiled at the concern he had, even though it was over the top.

"I will not let you lose that baby." Mario said, his voice firm. "I never thought to be a father, and I am not going to lose that chance." He quickly picked her up in his arms, climbed to their room, and set her in the bed. He was doting, bringing her books, blankets, anything he thought she needed. When she took a turn around the garden, sitting outside, he brought her a velvet cushion to put on the bench. Claudia would join her occasionally, asking what having a child inside her felt like.

It was awkward. Some mornings she would wake up, and immediately head for the chamber pot or a window to vomit out her stomach. Other times she would beg Mario to go to town and find her some strange foods, smoked meats and onions. Her stomach grew round, and she suddenly couldn't lace her dresses all the way. Her breasts were tender, she took to wearing two chemises so that they did not rub on the fabric and irritate themselves. One day she felt the baby kicking, immediately running to Mario even though he was in his barracks. She burst into the planning room, calling for him to feel. And though there were five soldiers standing around for his plan, he reached a large hand out to feel. The smile that split his face made her heart swell, and she kissed him. The soldiers apparently spread the news, for soon the other _condottieri _began to show up and offer her congratulations.

Then, while she was standing out in the garden, the baby came. She felt a warm rush of water cascade down her legs, and slow, fierce pains ripple through her. She staggered back to the Villa, heading for Mario's office. He was out of his chair in an instant, picking her up and taking her to the room they had prepared months ago for this purpose. Claudia watched them go, then ran down to the town to fetch the midwife. An older woman, she came soon enough, shooing Mario out of the room.

"Wait, I-ungh." She tried to protest, grunting as a pain cut through her. "Mario."

"This is woman's work." The midwife replied, dabbing her brow with a cool cloth. She had already begun to sweat, and the next few hours only made it worse. She grunted, groaned, and when she felt like nothing else would help she screamed. Occasionally Mario would slam his hand on the door, calling out to her. She couldn't reply, focused on trying to get this thing out of her. The midwife glanced up from her position between her legs. "Another." That was all she seemed to say, another push and soon the baby would be here. "I can see the head, one more!" Serena gave one last push, screaming. Her black hair was plastered to her head by her sweat, but when the midwife lifted the tiny bundle up she could have cared less. The little, bloody person on that cloth was beautiful. The midwife cut the cord, tied it, swaddled the babe and handed it to her. The little bundle began to cry loudly.

"She's beautiful." Serena murmured, even though she felt tired enough to sleep for a week.

The door burst open, Mario striding through. "You went quiet, is everything alright?" He looked around, finally noticing the child. He held out his arms, and she placed her gently in her father's arms.

"A girl." The midwife said, almost sadly.

"It does not matter," Mario growled. "She is worth more than any boy, for she is alive as is her mother." Mario held her to his chest, then looked down at Serena. "What shall we name her?" He handed her back, and the baby soon attached herself to a breast.

"Francesca." Serena decided. "Francesa Auditore De Monteriggoni."

"A good name." Mario replied, going out for a moment so he could drag a chair into the room. He didn't seem to mind as the midwife used cloths to clean her thighs and legs, taking the bloody ones away in a basket. All he wanted to do was watch her, gently touch the top of her head. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"No," Serena shook her head. "This is to messy for a dream" Mario laughed at that, and that was all she remembered before she fell asleep. When she woke, she realized Mario must have moved her for she was in their bed, and Francesca dozed in a small crib at the foot of the bed. Serena couldn't feel anything, it was an effort to just raise her head. When Mario finally came back, he seemed shocked to find her still in bed. When she told him she couldn't move, he brought the doctor. Apparently she was just exhausted, and was promptly put on bed rest for a week. The week passed slowly, but soon she had something else to occupy her mind.

Ezio's letter had begun to arrive in a flurry, detailing plans to assassinate a Venetian merchant that was oppressing the people. Mario growled and paced the Villa for a day, saying that this plan was foolish. Ezio's next letter changed his mind. He had neglected to mention that Emilio Barbarigo was a Templar, but he had apparently been sucessful in assassinating him because his letter arrived with a packet of documents. In it was Barbarigo's business associates, his accounts and shipments. Everything that could be traced back to the Templars.

Serena was out of bed when it arrived, and had been training for at least a week. When Mario came with the news, she was grappling with a soldier in the fighting pit. She tripped the mercenary, pinning him down. Mario told her what Ezio had sent and she had laughed. It was a simple thing for Mario to order the Assassins spread through the lower classes of Italy to kill who they could get their hands on. Reports came back to Monteriggoni of Templar merchants suddenly being found in rivers, falling in drunk it was assumed.

Mario was reading over one and laughing when a courier came in with a wooden box. Mario nodded and waved him away, and Serena was instantly curious about what was in it. Francesca was sleeping quietly in her crib while her parents attended to the family business. He opened the box, reached into it, and withdrew a circular stone. Serena followed him as he moved to his bookcase and opened the way to the Sanctuary. He stopped before a statue of a Roman Assassin, Leonius. He put the stone into the circular holder before the statue, and she started when she heard a scraping. The gate before one of the statues was moving. A lock, bearing the same sword that was on the seal, retracted its hold on the gate.

"So close." Mario mused, walking over. "Altair, we've almost got you." Serena questioned him and he quickly explained. "Altair was a Master Assassin, back when the Templars were out in the open. He found one of those artifacts, called them Pieces of Eden. It forged his armor, unbreakable and impenetrable. Our grandfathers locked it away, sealing it with these locks. Only by finding the seals can we access it."

"A test." Serena smiled, watching as Mario reached out and touched the gate. "Only one seal left."

* * *

Word began to trickle in from Venice, along with more letters. The Doge was dead, poisoned by an Assassin that had been able to infiltrate the _Palazzo Ducale_. Ezio defended his actions, saying that one of the Doge's sycophants had poisoned him, and that Ezio had taken his life in return. His letter came with two models, packed in straw. One was of a _carucca_, and Ezio described how he had raced along the road to Forli in a similar one.

The other model was different, and when she opened it Serena started because she thought Ezio had sent them a dead bat. It had thin wings, leather bound to a light wooden frame. Ezio said he had flown in a larger version of it, but Mario was doubtful. It didn't look like it could get off the ground, even as small as it was now. But they placed it in the armory as Ezio had asked, even if looking at it made her shiver. She wasn't sure if it was because it frightened her, or that she desired the flight that Ezio had claimed.

One night, after Ezio's letter claimed he had assassinated another Templar Doge, Mario took her to one of the walls. He had wanted her dressed in her training clothes, and urged her to climb the wall alongside him. She had never been a very good climber when compared to the Auditores, but she was still able to climb into the tower after Mario. He watched as she pulled herself up, looking around at the small group gathered.

A few of Mario's soldiers were there, a courtesan that had come from Rome, a couple thieves, and a few scholars. They all stood around a brazier, a pair of tongs heating in the coals. Serena looked at them, unsure of what to do.

"Serena Auditore." One of the scholars said. "We welcome you." The other nodded their agreement. "As a poisoner, you have served our cause. You have trained with Assassins, and have every right to be inducted into our order. If you desire it."

Serena appeared taken aback for a minute. "What?"

"You've been everything but an official Assassin." Mario replied, "You could join us, the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins." He watched as Serena thought, her brows furrowing before she nodded her head. "_Volto bene_. Hold out a hand." She did as requested, and one of his soldiers picked up the tongs. He watched her step back, almost falling out of the tower. He caught her other hand though, holding her steady. "It will not hurt much." He whispered into her ear as the burning steel clamped around her ring finger.

_Bastardo! _She mentally screamed, cursing Mario Auditore for a liar. She would regret her words later, but all she could focus on was the pain. It felt like she had thrust her hand into the fire, and she squeezed Mario's hand so tightly she thought she broke a few fingers. But eventually it dulled, merely pounding in time with her heartbeat.

The scholar spoke again. "You will obey these tenants, stay your blade from the innocent. Only bring death to our enemies. You will hide in plain sight, we must remain secret for people to fear us. Finally, you must never betray the brotherhood. Do you swear to uphold these tenants?" She swore, repeating them back, and mentally swore a lot more at their foolish branding.

Then she was told what she would have to do next.

"Oh, there is no way." She growled when one of the thieves pointed to the hay wagon below. "I'll break my neck."

"Watch _signorina_." He called, leaping away from the tower. He fell perfectly, the hay breaking his fall. The others in the tower had formed a semicircle around her back, Mario behind them. When she looked over her shoulder he had shrugged, and made little shooing motions to get her to jump. The group tightened, forcing her out onto the lantern post. She took a deep breath, cursed this ceremony with everything she had, and leapt.

For a few seconds, she flew.

It was almost magical, hurtling towards the ground. Her finger didn't hurt anymore, and when she looked up she could see the stars swirling around her. She was weightless, falling and for a moment she wondered if this was how Ezio felt as he flew over Venice. Now she knew why Ezio liked doing this, it drove her stomach up into her throat and when she thudded into the hay she laughed out loud. All of a sudden another figure landed next to her, laughing a throaty chuckle she knew all to well. Mario had followed, and he quickly pulled her out after him.

"You could have told me, you know." She griped when they got back to the Villa. Mario was rubbing a salve onto her burn, and she was picking bits of hay out of her hair. Francesca was still asleep, and growing bigger every day.

"I didn't know when I was inducted, it's part of the ceremony." He replied, wrapping a small cloth around the burn.

"Can the ceremony involve less pain?" She grumbled, cradling her hand.

"Be glad we only brand a finger, it used to be you lost one."

* * *

Ezio came back from Venice in a raging anger. The Templars had gone off to Cyprus, and he could find no ship to follow. Mario cautioned him to remain calm, relax for a year or two. "Let them do the work, they have as much knowledge of how it works as we do." Mario clapped his hand over his nephew's shoulder. "We'll receive word when their boat is making its way back, it will be a simple thing to follow them, _nipote_."

"Mario, tell him to be quiet. I just laid Francesca down." Serena came in, hissing.

Ezio looked at Mario. "Francesca?"

"You've got a new cousin." Mario beamed. Ezio looked dumbfounded for a moment. "Don't look so shocked, Ezio. I'm not as old as you think." When Francesca was brought down for dinner, Ezio immediately took a liking to her even though she had barely passed her second birthday. Francesca could now toddle around as long as she held onto something, and her hair was coming in black although she had her father's dark eyes.

Ezio stayed with them for around a year. He still went out, tracking down Templars in the surrounding areas but he brought back more artwork to hang in the Villa and a few toys for Francesca. She was particularly attached to a small wooden horse that he brought her, taking it everywhere with her. And oh where she went. Ezio took her around town, pointing out buildings and trying to get her to say them. Francesca remained silent, but Ezio swore she understood what he said.

For a year, they were happy. Ezio brought back more feathers for his mother, Mario gave him a large warhammer he had been saving, and Claudia kept the Villa running smoothly. Serena returned to her poisons and perfumes, producing new scents and deadlier concoctions. For a year, they were the perfect vision of a family. A family of Assassins of course, for a normal family wouldn't find their step-aunt with her nephew in a strangle hold. Ezio returned to Venice though, and Serena found herself and Mario following him.

* * *

Her poisons rattled in her case, stowed in a small chest in the back of the carriage they had hired to take them to Romagna. Mario sat next to her as their driver urged the horses on as fast as they could go. He did not explain much, only saying that they needed to go to Venice. She had bugged him, asking and asking, but he never explained. All he said was that she should be ready for a fight, and that her poisons would help. They got onto a ship, and in the few days it took them to cross to _Vienze_ she thought of Francesca. Claudia was more than willing to care for her cousin during their trip but she still worried. _A mother's troubles._ They finally arrived, Mario putting them up in an inn and immediately heading out.

She spent the day checking on her poisons, napping after she had locked the door, and in general worrying. Mario showed up around sundown, telling her to bring her weapons. She strapped the blade Leonardo had made for her on, covering it with her sleeve. She coated a dagger in poison, throwing knives in poison, her sword in poison, and just about covered every metallic weapon she had in her poison. It was quick acting, rendering a man dead in a moment. Mario guided her through the streets of Venice, crossing the Grand Canal to the other bank. She heard the sounds of fighting, and looked around. A group of others had joined her and Mario. One was hooded, sticking to the shadows. Another, clutching a large knife, darted forward, before waiting for them to catch up. The last, a large brash _condottiero_, strode purposefully through the streets. She stayed back, waiting. A guard was fighting a cloaked man, guards dead around him.

"Uncle!" The guard exclaimed as Mario stepped out. She recognized that voice, Ezio was in the uniform.

"Don't worry, _nipote_. You are not alone." He laughed, bringing their group forward.

The hooded figure lunged forward, sliding his blade quickly into a guard. "Volpe!" Ezio cried. "What are you doing here?"

"We could very well ask you the same thing!" Volpe snorted, turning as another guard went down with an arrow in his skull.

The other two figures burst into the fray, the slender one saying to Ezio as he ran past. "Save your questions, brother. Don't let Borgia get that box!" With that they entered, taking on even more guards. Serena moved quickly among the guard, who almost seemed to hesitate seeing a woman fighting. Their hesitation cost them. Mario's training had paid off, as had her skill in poison. A simple knick brought down a large man, turing pale and gray as he fell. She watched, out of the corner of her eye, as Mario fought. He was glorious, slashing a man's arm off, then turning to stab another through the heart. When one guard tried to sneak up on him, she was there with her poisoned dagger cutting deep into his neck. Soon they were surrounded by dead guards, and when she turned around she saw the cloaked figure running, Ezio dazed on his back. A woman approached him, bringing him over.

"I have to go after him!" Ezio yelled.

Another woman emerged from the shadows. Serena could only describe her as the most provocative nun she had ever seen. "Do you know? Or are you here for another reason, my son?"

"Ezio, it will all be alright." Serena told him, hoping she could believe it herself.

"Teodora? Serena?" He gasped, turning around in a circle. Their group gathered, and Serena could only assume they were Assassins. It would be the most rational explanation. A young man made his way around the back of the group.

"Perhaps the same thing you are, Ezio. Waiting to see the Prophet appear." He stepped forward, into the light. Serena could only describe him as academic, not having the physique of a man used to the ways of war.

"I came here to kill the Spaniard, I couldn't care less about your Prophet. He never showed up!" Ezio growled, and Serena caught the word prophet again. She was going to get this out of Mario even if it took the whole trip back to Monteriggoni.

"No, but you did." The young man replied, smirking.

"What?"

"A prophet's arrival was foretold, and unbeknownst to us, here you are. Perhaps, all along you were the one we sought."

Ezio stepped forward, aggressive. "_Cosa_? Who are you?"

"Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. I am an Assassin, trained in the ancient ways to safeguard mankind's evolution. Just like you, and each one of us here." Machiavelli gestured to the group.

"You are all Assassins?" Ezio gaped. "Paola? Volpe? _Zia _Serena?"

"It's true _nipote_." Mario said, stepping forward to place an arm on Ezio's shoulder. "We have all been guiding you for years, teaching you the skills you would need to join our ranks. I think it's time." He looked to his side as Serena placed her arm on his back, nodding. "I think it's time."

"We have our prize, but there is much to be done." The slender thief, Antonio she would later learn, said. He handed Ezio a letter. "Come meet us here at sunset." They turned, walking away. Serena walked arm in arm with Mario, following the Venetian _condottiero_. Bartolomeo was quite an outspoken person, and she learned several wonderful curses from him. He let them stay for the rest of the day at his headquarters, offering them water to wash with.

"So this is your poisoner wife." Bartolomeo laughed, "You handed yourself well in the fight, _madonna_."

"You were quite," Serena paused from her washing to think of a word. "Fearsome."

"Hah!" Mario laughed. "I've seen him kill a man with a broom, that's fearsome." They all laughed, and she learned more about what brought them to Venice while she was there. They were chasing more of those artifacts, the Pieces of Eden. Like the one that had cost Mario his eye. Rodrigo Borgia, the head of the Templars, and the one who had ordered the Auditore execution ten years ago in Florence, had been the one Ezio was fighting. When it was time to meet Ezio, them all went to one of the highest towers in Venice. Bartolomeo tried to climb up after her but she insisted that he go first.

"You're wife's too smart, Mario!" He boomed.

"Too smart for you!" Mario retorted as they climbed the building. She stood with the others as the fire was started and they waited for Ezio. She took this time to look around, then snorted. "What?" Mario asked from his place by her side.

"He's got a bigger turnout," She shrugged. "Thought it was funny." She grew quiet as they heard Ezio begin to climb the tower, finally hoisting himself over the edge. He looked at them, freshly cleaned of the blood from their battle. Mario spoke a few sentences in a language she didn't understand. He switched back shortly after. "These are the words of our ancestors, that lay at the heart of our creed."

"Where other men follow the truth, remember..." Machiavelli said, stepping forward.

"Nothing is true." Ezio replied.

"Where other men are limited, by morality or law, remember..."

"Everything is permitted."

"We work in the dark to serve the Light. We are Assassins." Machiavelli continued. Serena could almost hear Mario snorting. Machiavelli was smart, but he tended towards lyrical and long explanations.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." The whole group echoed.

"It is time, Ezio." Mario moved out of line. "In this modern age, we are not so literal as our ancestors. But our seal is no less permeant. Are you ready to join us?"

"I am." Ezio nodded, looking over as Antonio drew out the tongs from the fire.

Serena smiled. "It doesn't hurt much."

"And like many things, it does not last long." Antonio smirked, quickly clamping them around Ezio's finger and pulling them back. Ezio hissed, but at least he didn't curse at the brander like she had wanted to.

Machivaelli came forward again, and she actually rolled her eyes this time. "_Bienvenuto_. You are one of us now, come. We have much to do." One by one, they flung themselves off the tower. Serena reveled in the feel of flying once again, but it was over far to soon. She didn't even have time to get her breath back, rolling out of the hay in an instant so that Mario could break his fall. They made their way back to their inn, promising to visit Leonardo tomorrow to discuss the so called 'Apple of Eden'. Mario slumped into a chair, and Serena could feel her energy leaving. She looked at her hands, washed clean of the blood she had shed.

She almost felt sick, like she would vomit. She had thought about it before, how she had taken a part in killing. But that had been through Ezio, handing poisons off to other Assassins. Today, today she had killed them herself. She had slit their throats, stabbed, and danced her dance of death through the ranks of guards. Who no doubt had families, people waiting for them at home. She had already begun to sob when Mario placed an arm around her.

"The first kill is always hard." He murmured, clutching her to his chest. She cried hard that night, voicing her thoughts. Mario merely nodded, holding her. "At least you gave them a quick death, painless. Most are not so lucky." He offered. She fell asleep exhausted both physically end emotionally that night. Mario was understanding, and when she woke up with a sob still in her throat he held her again. Morning was different, and she had made her peace. Not with God, but with herself. These men, those that she had killed, no doubt they had killed before and would have killed more if she had not come in. If the way to prevent future deaths, and the deaths of those she loved, was to kill, then she would kill. It was no obstacle. Merely a fact that had to be accepted.

Mario stepped out later that day, meeting Machiavelli and Ezio at Leonardo's workshop. He returned, holding his head and complaining of a fierce pain. She brought him a few of her herbs, ones that would help the pain not kill him. As she attended to him, he spoke. Ezio had touched the Apple, and then all he could see was golden light and it felt like his head might burst. Like a great claw had settled into his brain, puling him apart.

She comforted him, and soon they returned to Monteriggoni while Ezio took the Apple to Forli. When they walked in, Claudia was immediately on them, speaking about how far Francesca had come along. Their daughter had grown larger, and Serena held her close for a long time.

* * *

When Ezio returned from Forli, it was like the bright future the Assassins has been hoping for, had vanished. Ezio spun a tale of how Forli was under attack, and that he had freed the city but had almost died as a result. While he was unconscious, the Apple had been taken by a monk named Savonarola. Mario looked angry when he learned, but held his tongue. "It is enough that you are alive, _nipote_. The Apple will find its way back, such things happen."

Ezio resisted for awhile, but eventually settled into a lifestyle in Monteriggoni. Oh, he would still ride out and ask after Savonarola, trying to find out more about the monk, but he would also bring back news from the other cities. San Gimignano had finally escaped from under Templar control, but was building up their army in case of an attack. Florence prospered, as usual. For whenever the Medici were firm in their control, Florence blossomed. Francesca grew every closer to her cousin, and sometimes she would run around the Villa, crying for "Ezy!" or "Mama!" or "Papa!"

All of their visitors seemed to find this delightful, and commented on how strong she was getting. Mario would laugh and say that Francesca would make a better soldier than some man's wife, and the visitors would laugh but Serena knew what he was thinking. Francesca had been born into the Assassins, and she would be trained. Even now, she wrestled with the other children, learning the basics of fighting. The Villa, already quite prosperous, grew even more so. The Auditores now had more money than they could spend, and the Medici promised to keep it safe for them.

After three years of recovery, Ezio returned to Venice. Several letters followed over the year, all of them in the same vein.

_Uncle Mario,_

_Venice is still much the same, but now it is Antonio, Teodora, and Barolomeo who control the districts. Antonio has a client from Spain, asking for protection for his friend, a man named Crristoffa Corombo. He thinks he can find a new trade route to the Indies, and the Borgias are reeling him in with their money. His friend, Luis, asks that I shadow Corombo across Venice, to the meeting._

_He was right, the Templars almost killed the man before I interceded. Luckily for him, my skills haven't grown rusty. I brought Corombo back to Luis, along with an atlas they requested I get. Sometimes these tasks make me feel like a __shop boy running orders out. Eh, I digress. Luis spoke of a man in Spain, a Torquemada, who is preparing to wipe out the Spanish Brotherhood._

_Uncle, I know we must recover the Apple, but I cannot let a part of our Brotherhood be wiped out. I will journey to Spain, and I hope my letters will reach Monteriggoni._

_My best to Mother, there are more feathers in here for her. I must have collected close to a hundred by now. Tell Claudia not to line her purse to much with the Villa's income. Best wishes to both you and Serena. Give a hug to Francesca for me._

_Ezio_

The year 1492 was a bad one for the Assassins. First, in April, Lorenzo de' Medici died. The gout that plagued him across his final years had finally done him in, and all of Florence mourned. Mario grew sullen and silent, often sharpening his sword instead of talking. They went to the funeral of course, as well as the Mass for Lorenzo's soul. Their only other stop was to offer condolences to Lorenzo's son, Piero. Piero thanked them, calling their families the closest of friends. Their money could be secure in his banks, he said, the Palazzo Auditore will remain guarded day and night.

They returned to Monteriggoni, only to receive a courier a hot muggy day in July. The Pope was dead, a conclave had been called, and so far there were two frontrunners in the papal election. A cardinal named della Rovere.

And Rodrigo Borgia.

"That _bastardo _could be Pope." Mario growled one day, pacing in his study. Serena sat nearby, writing a coded reply to Ezio. The Roman Brotherhood was doing what they could to limit Borgia's chances, spreading word of his children and dirty dealings. But they did not have access to the same channels as Rodrigo. Rumors flew from the conclave, Borgia was giving away all he had to secure votes. Ezio was still in Spain, hunting this Torquemada. Word of the atrocities he had committed had already reached Italy. Burnings, hangings, and all in such large numbers. It was not just Assassins he hunted, but Jews as well.

Then word came from Rome, Borgia was Pope, taking the name Alexander VI. But no change truly came to Monteriggoni. They weren't placed under a papal decree, summoned to Rome to stand for crimes. Mario waited tense for several moths, before relaxing slightly. "Our work out here must not be too noticeable in Rome." He mused. "Borgia no doubt has bigger fish to fry."

"With Ezio gone, he has no one to chase around Italy." Serena nodded. "But Ezio will be back soon. We need to be ready." Sure enough, once Ezio had returned small sorties of Borgia guards were found throughout Florence and trying to make their way to Monteriggoni. They never made it. Mario's soldiers caught several, as did Ezio and Mario himself. Serena took down a patrol on her own, using a new poison she had invented. It was a powder, and inhaling it would cause immediate asphyxiation. She had placed it in some of Ezio's smoke bombs, so when the guards found her returning from Florence one day, she threw down the bomb and clapped her heels to the horse. An hour later, she returned. The patrol was dead, and she quickly went through their pockets.

Borgia had left orders to find out if the Assassins still possessed the Apple. She snorted as she tucked the parchment away into her saddle bag. Ezio was still searching for the Apple, and Borgia thought he had it. Perhaps they should send a letter to the Vatican, sorry but we don't have it either. It took two years, but the Apple finally resurfaced. The monk Ezio had lost it to, this Savonarola, was using it to incite the Florentine people against the Medici. Piero was thrown out, taking off to Venice. Mario made a trip to Florence under darkness, withdrawing all the Auditore money. His mercenaries guarded the wagons while he scouted the city.

What he saw was chaos, destruction, and a populace run mad. Savonarola cried out against every decadence he saw, claiming the Lord desired it. Mario watched from the shadows as paintings were burned, books filled with wisdom lit up on their funeral pyres. He watched, he mourned the loss of knowledge. But he returned to the Villa, storing the strongboxes of florins in the Sanctuary. Ezio had found the last seal years ago, and the gate before Altair's statue made a perfect hiding spot. All he had to was remove a single seal, storing it in his desk. Once back, he ordered all the paintings taken down and the statuettes removed from the gardens.

"Why Mario? The troubles of Florence rarely reach out here." Serena asked as she watched the paintings taken down to the Sanctuary.

"This monk, this Savonarola." Mario spat. "His ideas will, the people might very well form a mob to come after the Villa. Better to be prepared than unlucky." Serena hated it, but Mario's logic was sound. So the paintings were put away, along with any volumes from Mario's library that might be considered 'heretical'. His instinct were right, for a year after Savonarola had come to power, some of his acolytes came to Monteriggoni. The art merchant had wisely closed his shop a year ago, claiming a visit to Venice.

Mario greeted them outside the Villa. "Welcome."

The monks were dressed in heavy black robes, their skin pale under their hoods. "We have come to tear down the vanities of the rich." One hissed, and Serena was immediately taken aback. Father Giovanni was the one who had spoke, and she involuntarily took a step back. "Do you wish to confess your heresy?"

"I have nothing to confess. I have no paintings, nothing beautiful aside from my wife and daughter." He shrugged. "I am a simple _condottiero_, not some banker." The monks pushed past him, going into the Villa. Serena reached down to where Francesca held onto her skirts.

"They're scary." The little girl muttered, and Serena agreed. Mario followed them from room to room, a few of his soldiers with him. The monks apparently could find nothing to indict the Auditore, but swore that they would be back. Mario doubted that. Even now Ezio was planning to take control back from Savonarola, giving it to the Medici. Two years later he succeeded and Mario hosted a large party to celebrate the return of the Medici's. The art was hung back up and the Villa was cleaned until it shone. Francesca, now thirteen, laughed and danced with the village boys, and Mario fumed as all fathers did.

* * *

When Ezio had retrieved the Apple and run off to Rome, her husband had followed. Serena was left to oversee the Villa, and something immediately felt off. She could almost sense something encroaching on Monteriggoni, and it bothered her. When Ezio and Mario arrived back, triumphant, she told herself that it was silly. But still, something made her keep her blades and poison nearby. A few nights after their return, she knew what she felt. The Villa shuddered from the first cannon shot, and Mario was out of bed and into his armor in an instant. Francesca burst in, weeping. Mario left to deal with whatever was happening, leaving Serena and Francesca behind. Serena watched from the windows, and the moment she saw the canon fire, she knew it was lost.

"Quick, get Claudia and Maria. Everything, it all must go to the Sanctuary." Serena ordered, collecting an armful of books before running down the stairs. Francesca followed, waking her cousin and aunt. Soon the women were shuttling jewelry, clothing, books and artwork down to the Sanctuary and by the statue of Altair. Francesca had the good mind to bring what she could find of Ezio's weapons, but she balked when her mother told her to take the sword and a dagger.

"Francesca, this isn't like your training!" Serena barked. "We could die, you need to be ready to fight!" The fifteen year old hesitated, but nodded. Serena was just running upstairs to grab her own hidden blade when she saw Mario. He was injured, badly, but still on his feet.

"_Amore_," She whispered, hugging him. She could feel his blood staining her nightgown, but she couldn't care less.

"Gather the townspeople, take them through the passageway and out of here." He growled. "I will buy you time."

"Mario!" Serena sobbed. "Don't! Come with us, we can leave together." She pleaded, crying and asking him if he wanted Francesca to grow without a father. But still, he turned away and went out. Francesca came running out.

"What's he doing?" She asked. "Mother, get him to come back!"

That snapped Serena out of her sobs. She stood up, threw off her nightgown and pulled on her training clothes. Any poison she had, she used. She coated her weapons, then stole out into the night. Francesca was already running through town, telling everyone to get to the Villa. Serena spotted a few soldiers by the wall, trying to get through the press of people to the gates. She joined them, and they entered the battle.

She didn't know how many lives she took that day, slashing and dancing through the fray. She could see Mario out in front, trying in vain to rally his men. She made her way towards him, killing any in her way. A man that she would have described as cruelly handsome cut at him, and she saw the small pouch that contained the Apple of Eden go flying. Mario gaped for a minute, and the man chased after it. A large soldier behind him cracked him over his head with the pommel of his sword, and Mario fell. Serena's world seemed to slow, and then go red. She threw a knife so hard that man would wind up being buried with it in his head. A few of the remaining soldiers that had came with her picked up mario at her direction, bearing him back toward the town. Soldiers rallied around her, forming a fighting retreat.

The man who had claimed the Apple screamed when he saw this. "Bring him to me! He's to be an example!" The opposing soldiers rushed forward, but he remaining archers on the walls cut them down as fast as they could. Ezio stood in front of the Villa, watching as Mario was carried by two soldiers inside. Serena told him to come to the Sanctuary, then vanished inside. The Sanctuary was sealed, and the townspeople huddled in fear as they heard the sounds of battle from outside.

Serena couldn't focus on that, instead trying to save her husband. She had Francesca bring her herbs from her chest, which she chewed to form a rough poultice and slather on his wounds. Her nightgown, grabbed by Francesca, became bandages. Finally, after a long wait, Ezio was brought down by a few more mercenaries. He was injured as well, and she tended to him before they all moved back behind Altair to the passageway. A soldier carried Mario, occasionally passing him off. They finally emerged sometime later, well away from Monteriggoni.

"Where will we go now?" Claudia asked Ezio. Apparently Cesarae had promised to kill every last Auditore, starting with Mario. Ezio wanted to chase after him to Rome, but he was injured.

"Florence, the Medici still protect the _Palazzo Auditore_." Serena replied, making sure that Mario was secured in the wagon they had stolen from a farm. He was delirious almost, but when she pressed a cool cloth against his brow he seemed to recognize her.

"_Amore_." He groaned. She soothed him, assuring him that he was safe and so was she. The trip to Florence took longer than they had hoped, but they eventually reached their new home. Once Mario had been settled she summoned a doctor, who assured her that Mario's fever would break in a day. Ezio had reappeared from his own sickbed, sitting by his uncle's bedside. Serena had found an feather lying around the palazzo, and remembering the ancient traditions of the Assassins, she offered it to him.

"Ezio, bring this feather back to me, stained with Cesarae's blood." She ordered, handing it to him.

"Only the Master Assassin can order that." Ezio replied, holding the feather up to the light.

Mario chose that moment to wake, placing his hand over Ezio's. "Kill the bastard." Ezio nodded and left. Mario recovered, quickly setting to training a new army. Remnants of his old one came, training the newcomers. Serena set up a poison shop in an abandoned room, teaching Francesca all she knew. One week, she set out to Monteriggoni. It had been burned, that much was obvious and the Villa was a mess. Some parts of it remained, while others had fallen. Some of Mario's soldiers occupied it, calling out to her when she came in. With their help she managed to get down to the Sanctuary, replacing the seal she had taken during the raid. The soldiers helped her fill the wagons she had brought, wishing her luck when she drove them back to Florence. Everything in the Sanctuary had seemed to escape the violence, and for a few years the Palazzo Auditore was filled with the remnants of their old life.

The most important thing she brought back though, was not the art of the books, but the strongboxes full of gold. The money the Auditores had alone was enough to hire an architect to rebuild the town and the walls. Serena went to ask her brother, who had taken over San Eliguis after her father had died, to lend them money. He was more than willing, and soon the Villa Auditore joined those buildings being rebuilt. It took years but soon it was as if it was new. The Auditore household moved back, except for Claudia who stayed in Rome after she had followed Ezio.

Seven years after being given the feather, Ezio returned. Serena looked up from the desk where she sat as Ezio laid it in front of her. Mario sat next to her, looking at the wall behind them. The original Codex had been burned, but a copy had been saved. It was bound though, so the wall had been left bare until Leonardo had sent the portrait he had promised. A grinning Mario and beaming Serena looked down on Ezio as he placed the feather down.

It was stained scarlet.

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**AN: Well, this has been one of the longer ones. I was originally going to post this as chapters, but I never really saw a good way to break it off. I just couldn't deal with Cesare killing Mario, so I didn't. Oh, and Bartolomeo killing someone with a broom? Saw that. Anyway, leave your thoughts in reviews if you want to.**


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